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1. Frontal Male Nudity in GTA IV DLC
   

   Player Chronicle -- Posted on Feb 17 2009

   I'm not a prude, I'm all for art for art's sake, but I'm also a businessman, and the new expansion DLC for Grand Theft Auto IV called "The Lost and the Damned" features full frontal male nudity. That makes it VERY tough for me to stock this and let people play it given the large under-18 crowd we cater to. It's in the scene where the guy is getting a massage. MOST of the scene is shown from hips up, and the nudity is just implied.
   
   But then, BAM! He's standing there looking like Gonzo with a black dye-job, all his bits dangling about. I can't remember another game, even an M-rated game that had below-the-waist frontal male nudity. Anybody?
   
   I know many of the female gamers on here will say what's good for the goose is good for the gander. Certainly female nudity has been in games before, usually just topless, but sometimes the whole shebang like in Conan.
   
   If this were a film, I wouldn't blink an eye. I've seen plenty of art films with frontal male nudity, and it never fazed me. Americans are seen as rather Puritanical by the rest of the world with respect to nudity. And we've had comments in the Forums before about the grotesque violence in films/games being OK but the least bit of sex is verboten.
   
   What does everybody else think? One part of me says this is a huge step necessary to the continuing evolution of gaming as art, the other part of me says this was purely gratuitous.
   
   Female perspectives are welcomed and encouraged.

   
   

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Silent Bob has 5 comment s on this chronicle.

1. MrBigJeezy
   Posted On Feb 19 2009

   I always encourage pushing the boundaries. I don't see any reason not to. FACT: Things that are taboo are more sought after than things that are not. I don't think mild nudity should be a problem at all. FACT: Countries where sex and nudity isn't a taboo topic and is more openly discussed and accepted have a considerably lower teenage pregnancy rate. But I suppose then you have to ask this question: If mild nudity weren't taboo, how far out would the boundary be then, and who would be pushing it to what extent?

2. BEN
   Posted On Feb 18 2009

   I left my detailed response over in the GoG Forum discussion for this game, but I'll copy/paste it here as well to show some Chronicle-writing love
   
   "I think this is just another GTA stunt to be pushing the boundaries of what's allowed. This title has always done this and its overall success has been almost completely based on this approach.
   
   I personally don't care if male/female nudity is in video games, because I've just been so desensitized to violence and sexual content in games, I rarely have a problem with anything. At the same time, I can see the disturbing part of this situation.
   
   I also know how strict many game retailers are on selling this game. I've actually heard a GameStop employee tell a parent that the game is very bad for kids and glorifies stealing, violence, and sex...right in front of the child. If a kid sees this type of content and is not meant to, I have to place some blame on the parents. At the same time, parents can't control everything and if the kid is determined to play these types of games, it'll be hard to stop them.
   
   I also see the tough spot that this situation has put game center owners in.
   
   I too am interested to hear some female thoughts, but I suppose that's my rant on this beaten-to-death subject."

3. RyuBlitz
   Posted On Feb 18 2009

   @Jack: CyberOps requires that all underage gamers have their parent/guardian sign a liability waiver, before the kids can play any M-rated games.
   
   As for the nudity issue... I must admit, I'm not really surprised that RS did this. I'm curious to see how this will play out among the media masses, though. Thank goodness Jack Thompson's disbarred, right?

4. JackDaniels624
   Posted On Feb 18 2009

   I've got a few things to say. One, I disagree with this for the most part, but can't you get in some sort of trouble for allowing underage people play or watch M rated games at your business? I'm not sure if it matters in any other states, but I know that if someone sells an M rated game to a minor in Minnesota they get a fine (and I heard that it may now be a FELONY!).
   
   Secondly, great chronicle!
   
   Next I know videogames are considered "art"...but I just can't see it really, unless it's heavily involved with story...Crap I think I just contradicted myself, but it still is really hard for me to see it as art, more like entertainment. It's also hard for me to see movies as art as well, but for the same reason which contradicts itself...But overall I'm pretty sure most games are meant solely to entertain, not to make people think (which is artsy to me).
   
   Also I still think you should stock this game, but maybe have a designated area for it, and possibly a warning beforehand. No offense but I kinda look down on stores that give into the publics distates (like stores not selling Postal 2 due to it's controversy, thus it's only sold from the company).
   
   And lastly I really don't know why they don't just raise the M rating to 18. I can understand not wanting a really young kid to see nudity, but I wouldn't want them to see anything extremely (that's the keyword) violent either. But why restrict older gamers from seeing what the programmers wanted to put in? Might as well ban nudity in rated R movies as well. And cigarettes, don't want people to smoke because they saw someone smoking in a movie. And finally vowels should be banned because all swear words have vowels in them.
   
   Long response eh?

5. Kaptainwow
   Posted On Feb 18 2009

   And here i thought we were going to have a new grand theft auto that didn't have some sort of controversy. And then they do something completely new to games. Its not my sort of thing but props to them for pushing the boundaries.